one vamp who turned someone and continued from there. I don’t know how or why, much less how to stop it, but I have to find out.”
“If it keeps spreading, won’t the entire vampire population be overrun with these freak zombie leeches?”
Again Damon didn’t respond. His stare was fixed and distant, and she could tell he was lost in thought. Suddenly he snapped back to attention. “If we find the source of the virus and destroy it, then we can go after all the spawn. We think the current existing vamps can’t contract it, since they’re already turned. I think one of the old ones is behind this, though—creating an army of monsters to destroy, maybe to gain more power in the vamp world, and make hunting humans easier, as well—and I think I know who it is.”
She knew exactly what he was thinking. “If you expect to go into Caius’s nest with guns blazing, you’re out of your mind.” She stood up and walked toward him. “I have a better suggestion.” Lingering directly in front of him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, stood on her tiptoes and pulled his head toward her for a kiss. Their tongues swirled together, and immediately heat rushed between her legs. She pulled back. “ I’ll kill Caius.”
“Over my rotting corpse.” Damon wrapped his arms around her waist and raised a single brow at her. “Did you really think kissing me would get me to agree to that?”
She shrugged. “It was worth a shot.”
Damon let out a long sigh. “Tiffany, look—”
“Let me finish,” she said, cutting him off. “Whether you like it or not, I know a lot more about the dynamics of this city’s vampire scene than you do. All the local vamps have their heads so far up Caius’s ass they might as well take up permanent residence. They’ll do anything he asks of them, and they’ll kill to protect him.”
“Vampires have no loyalty. Why do you think they’re so devoted to him?”
She crossed the room again to sit on the sofa. “Caius is a good leader, I’ll give him that. He’s good at controlling, even other vamps. He’s been here only three months when he fled here from New York City, after he killed my brother. Since Club Fantasy was already his, this was a natural place to relocate, I guess. He’d been an absent club owner before that. In only three months, he’s taken a disbanded group of rogue-like vamps and changed them into an organized nest. He must have been some sort of Roman version of Charles Manson in his day. He’s a manipulative psychopath. He was only second in command when my brother raided his nest in New York City. With the head honcho dead, Caius is the big fish now, and he takes his position very seriously.” She shot Damon a pointed look. “With so many vampires in this city, in order to kill Caius you’d have to get him alone, and in order to do that you’d need to gain his trust.” She pointed to herself. “I’ve already done that.”
He met her stare. “What are you proposing?”
“I’ll get back inside Caius’s inner circle. I’ll make up some excuse for having run last night, and then I’ll let you in to help me fight once I have him alone.”
Damon shook his head. “Absolutely not.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “Do you have a better idea?”
He grunted in exasperation and fixed her with a hard stare. “Why do you keep trying to tempt death?”
She scoffed. “Would you quit with that? Maybe I just want to avenge my brother, all right? How do you know I can’t—”
He interrupted her as he walked to her side. “Even if you were completely capable of handling an ancient vampire on your own—” he narrowed his eyes “—which you’re not, I still wouldn’t want you anywhere near Caius. I don’t know what I’d do if you were hurt or if I was unable to protect you.” He placed a hand on her cheek. “Don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes. You trying to fight a vampire as ancient as Caius is foolish. We both know why you’re
“If it keeps spreading, won’t the entire vampire population be overrun with these freak zombie leeches?”
Again Damon didn’t respond. His stare was fixed and distant, and she could tell he was lost in thought. Suddenly he snapped back to attention. “If we find the source of the virus and destroy it, then we can go after all the spawn. We think the current existing vamps can’t contract it, since they’re already turned. I think one of the old ones is behind this, though—creating an army of monsters to destroy, maybe to gain more power in the vamp world, and make hunting humans easier, as well—and I think I know who it is.”
She knew exactly what he was thinking. “If you expect to go into Caius’s nest with guns blazing, you’re out of your mind.” She stood up and walked toward him. “I have a better suggestion.” Lingering directly in front of him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, stood on her tiptoes and pulled his head toward her for a kiss. Their tongues swirled together, and immediately heat rushed between her legs. She pulled back. “ I’ll kill Caius.”
“Over my rotting corpse.” Damon wrapped his arms around her waist and raised a single brow at her. “Did you really think kissing me would get me to agree to that?”
She shrugged. “It was worth a shot.”
Damon let out a long sigh. “Tiffany, look—”
“Let me finish,” she said, cutting him off. “Whether you like it or not, I know a lot more about the dynamics of this city’s vampire scene than you do. All the local vamps have their heads so far up Caius’s ass they might as well take up permanent residence. They’ll do anything he asks of them, and they’ll kill to protect him.”
“Vampires have no loyalty. Why do you think they’re so devoted to him?”
She crossed the room again to sit on the sofa. “Caius is a good leader, I’ll give him that. He’s good at controlling, even other vamps. He’s been here only three months when he fled here from New York City, after he killed my brother. Since Club Fantasy was already his, this was a natural place to relocate, I guess. He’d been an absent club owner before that. In only three months, he’s taken a disbanded group of rogue-like vamps and changed them into an organized nest. He must have been some sort of Roman version of Charles Manson in his day. He’s a manipulative psychopath. He was only second in command when my brother raided his nest in New York City. With the head honcho dead, Caius is the big fish now, and he takes his position very seriously.” She shot Damon a pointed look. “With so many vampires in this city, in order to kill Caius you’d have to get him alone, and in order to do that you’d need to gain his trust.” She pointed to herself. “I’ve already done that.”
He met her stare. “What are you proposing?”
“I’ll get back inside Caius’s inner circle. I’ll make up some excuse for having run last night, and then I’ll let you in to help me fight once I have him alone.”
Damon shook his head. “Absolutely not.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “Do you have a better idea?”
He grunted in exasperation and fixed her with a hard stare. “Why do you keep trying to tempt death?”
She scoffed. “Would you quit with that? Maybe I just want to avenge my brother, all right? How do you know I can’t—”
He interrupted her as he walked to her side. “Even if you were completely capable of handling an ancient vampire on your own—” he narrowed his eyes “—which you’re not, I still wouldn’t want you anywhere near Caius. I don’t know what I’d do if you were hurt or if I was unable to protect you.” He placed a hand on her cheek. “Don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes. You trying to fight a vampire as ancient as Caius is foolish. We both know why you’re
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